Lion Craft for Preschoolers (FREE Printable)

This adorable lion craft for preschoolers is so fun and simple. It’s perfect for practicing fine motor skills too as the tissue paper pieces are placed. Using the free printable makes crafty so easy…just print, color and add the mane. We call it a preschool craft, but really this could even be a toddler craft with a little supervision.

If you like this lion craft, you’re also going to love making this paper plate lion craft, this white tiger craft, this giraffe craft, this elephant craft and this zebra craft. Work your way through the jungle.

Crafting with your kids could not be simpler…or more fun! when using craft flashcards. Get 100 sets today.

Fun Facts about Lions

• Most lions live in Africa.
• Young lions have spots on their fur which fade as they get older.
• A lion’s mane grows as they age and gets darker. They are used to attract females and to protect the lion from injury.
• A group of lions is called a pride.
• Lion cubs are raised together by the females of the pride.
• They will often hunt at night or during storms, which helps to hide any noises so that they can sneak up on prey.

For more interesting facts about lions, check out this article from Fact Animal.

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SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

• Crayons (or markers)
• Glue stick
• Orange tissue paper pieces
• Lion craft printable

This craft takes just a few basic supplies, and you already have them on hand if you’ve used our master list to fill your craft bag. This is the list that we stick to for every single craft project you see here and in our shop. It’s 27 basic items that can be mixed and matched for amazing results…sort of like a capsule wardrobe but for kids’ crafts instead of outfits. Fill your bag and craft along…you’ll be so glad you did.

Save this Preschool Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

How to make a Lion Craft for Preschoolers

Step 1: Download the Free Lion Craft Printable

• Download and print the lion craft template to use for your craft. There are a few options for you to choose from once you download.

If you don’t have access to a printer, simply draw the a lion face (circle with 2 ears) in the center of a piece of construction paper. Leave plenty of space around the lion’s head for adding the mane in the next steps.

Step 2: Color the Lion’s Face

• Color the face of your lion using crayons or markers. This can have as much detail as you would like.

For little ones who are learning to stay inside the lions, a tip is to use your Elmer’s glue to outline the item and allow it to dry overnight. This will give the lion’s head a tactile border that they can feel when coloring and help them to stay inside the lines.

Step 3: Add the Lion Mane

• Now that the face of your lion has been painted, use your glue stick to go around the outside of his head.
• Place orange tissue paper squares one at a time all around the outside to form the mane.

If you don’t have orange tissue paper on hand or would just like to add some extra fine motor practice, cut strips of orange paper and have your kiddo tear them into pieces to create the lion’s mane instead.

Step 4 (Optional): Write LION

• If it is appropriate for your child’s skill level, have your kiddo trace the word lion. Be sure to encourage proper grasp and appropriate letter formation during the task.

Now that you know how to make this lion craft, add some creativity. You can decorate the background…add more elements to the lion…or change up the colors. Maybe your lion will be purple with a lime green. There really are not limits except your imagination.

This is the perfect craft for practicing the skill of crossing midline. What is crossing midline? Glad you asked…Imagine that there is an invisible line going vertical down the center of the body. On one side is your right and the other your left. When one side of the body moves across that middle line into the space of the other side, that is crossing midline.

Most adults use this skill every day without even thinking about it. For example, if you are right handed, you likely reach across the dinner table to retrieve the salt using your right hand regardless of where it is, even if it is on your left side. When we read our, eyes cross midline, and when we write our hands cross midline. Many little ones, and even some elementary aged kids, have not yet developed this skill.

Children who have difficulty with this skill may struggle with tasks such as reading and writing, in addition to throwing a ball, cutting with scissors, tying shoes, zipping a jacket, and a whole host of other activities. Crossing midline has also been found to be linked to proper letter orientation. When I get an OT call from a teacher asking me to look at a student who has lots of letter reversals, the first thing I check out is if they are crossing midline spontaneously and consistently.

An easy and effective way to practice this skill is to set daily activities up so that items are placed opposite of the child’s preferred hand (If they have not yet established a strong hand dominance choose the hand that seems to be most coordinated or take turns until you find that they are preferring one over the other.)

For example, if a kiddo loves to snack on gold fish crackers, don’t place them in the center of the tray, but rather off to his/her left while he/she uses the right hand to reach over to retrieve the crackers. You will likely need to remind the child verbally or with gentle touch to use the right hand, as he/she will want to reach with the hand that is closest, even if that means transitioning the food into the other hand before it goes into the mouth.

For this craft, place small piles of the tissue paper squares opposite the kiddo’s dominant hand so that he/she is reaching across the body to retrieve them. Encourage your child to only retrieve one square at a time and to use a pinch to pick them up (also working on fine motor coordination here…2 for 1…yay!) Crossing midline is such an important and foundational skill. I think that you’ll find that once this is mastered, lots of other skills that have been lagging behind will begin to fall in place. 

If you’d like to learn more about crossing midline you can check out this article at “The Inspired Tree House”

Check out this brief video tutorial for this Lion Craft…

Save this Fine Motor Activity for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…